Material Analysis of the Remains of a Wooden Chest from the 4th Century and a Proposal for Its Reconstruction
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Materials
2.2. Sampling
2.3. Characterisation
2.3.1. XRF
2.3.2. ICP-MS
2.3.3. SEM with EDX Analysis
2.3.4. Fourier Transform InfraRed Spectroscopy (FTIR)
2.3.5. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
2.4. Solubility Test
3. Results and Discussions
3.1. XRF and ICP-MS Results
3.1.1. Bright Sample—XRF
3.1.2. Dark and Smaller Samples—XRF
3.1.3. Smaller sample—ICP-MS
3.2. SEM Microstructure with EDX Analysis
3.2.1. SEM/EDX Microscopic Examination of the Unpolished Dark Sample
3.2.2. SEM/EDX Microscopic Examination of the Polished Dark Sample
3.3. FTIR Spectroscopy
3.4. DSC Analysis
3.5. Solubility Tests
- -
- By applying the solvent with a dropper or a brush;
- -
- By removing brass plates with a scalpel in combination with a solvent;
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- With immersion of individual brass plates in a solvent to finally remove the adhesive;
- -
- By thermal decomposition and mechanical solvent removal.
4. Conclusions
- The investigation of archaeological objects is demanding, and therefore it is necessary to use non-destructive characterisation techniques to preserve the authenticity and archaeological value of the objects found;
- The results of our own investigations on samples of brass tiles and glue of a historically important chest confirmed the assumption that it is possible to remove brass tiles from an existing plastic chest with suitable solvents without any damage to the brass tiles;
- The proposal for the reconstruction of the chest includes the use of Dichloromethane with a dropper or a brush to the existing glue, so that the process results in 100% removal of all brass pieces. For those that cannot be removed, immersion in a bathtub is envisaged;
- The reconstruction and reproduction of the chest, which will reflect the authenticity of the 4th century CE, will require the cooperation, not only of material scientists, but also of archaeology and masters of superior manual skills. The removal of the old archaeologically historically significant brass plates from the plastic chest will require strict adherence to the removal protocol and great precision;
- For the preservation of cultural heritage, it is crucial to include different profiles of scientists in the research, in order to get as realistic an insight into the past as possible.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
References
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XRF | Sn | Zn | Fe | Ti | Pb | Cu |
Bright sample | 0.99 | 6.6 | 1.2 | 0.32 | 12.9 | rest |
Dark sample | 0.31 | 16.6 | 0.23 | / | 2.3 | rest |
Small sample | 0.21 | 16.3 | 0.18 | / | 1.0 | rest |
ICP-MS | Sn | Zn | Fe | Ti | Pb | Cu |
Small sample | 0.13 | 8.7 | 0.11 | <0.01 | 1.6 | rest |
EDX | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | O | Al | Si | Ca | Sn | |
mean | 63.98 | 34.77 | 0.18 | 0.66 | 0.07 | 0.25 |
STD | 2.41 | 2.15 | 0.27 | 0.39 | 0.16 | 0.23 |
Max | 67.04 | 38.53 | 0.62 | 1.16 | 0.40 | 0.71 |
Min | 59.55 | 31.81 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
EDX | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | O | Cu | Zn | Pb | Sn | |
mean | 5.50 | 2.10 | 61.45 | 23.34 | 7.05 | 0.56 |
STD | 1.56 | 1.40 | 2.86 | 2.47 | 2.96 | 0.26 |
Max | 8.85 | 4.51 | 64.61 | 26.24 | 11.13 | 1.24 |
Min | 3.31 | 0.00 | 53.37 | 17.63 | 2.92 | 0.06 |
Sample | Adhesive 1 | Adhesive 2 | Beeswax |
---|---|---|---|
Mass (g) | 13.3867 | 14.8614 | 14.2298 |
Tc1 (°C) | 55.4 | 54.7 | 54.2 |
Tc2 (°C) | 50.7 | 49.6 | 51.1 |
ΔHc (J/g) | 156.9 | 151.0 | 155.7 |
Tm1 (°C) | 56.0 | 55.3 | 55.1 |
Tm2 (°C) | 66.0 | 66.0 | 65.1 |
ΔHm (J/g) | 156.9 | 151.0 | 155.7 |
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Rudolf, R.; Slapnik, J.; Bobovnik, R. Material Analysis of the Remains of a Wooden Chest from the 4th Century and a Proposal for Its Reconstruction. Materials 2023, 16, 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010133
Rudolf R, Slapnik J, Bobovnik R. Material Analysis of the Remains of a Wooden Chest from the 4th Century and a Proposal for Its Reconstruction. Materials. 2023; 16(1):133. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010133
Chicago/Turabian StyleRudolf, Rebeka, Janez Slapnik, and Rajko Bobovnik. 2023. "Material Analysis of the Remains of a Wooden Chest from the 4th Century and a Proposal for Its Reconstruction" Materials 16, no. 1: 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010133
APA StyleRudolf, R., Slapnik, J., & Bobovnik, R. (2023). Material Analysis of the Remains of a Wooden Chest from the 4th Century and a Proposal for Its Reconstruction. Materials, 16(1), 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010133